Chasing The Clouds
by taylorandhannah
Summary: *Prequel to Trial and Error* "Baby, running after you is like chasing the clouds." Michael
1. Chapter 1

**HI Guys! This is a teenage M/C fic. It is the prequel to my first story Trial and Error. The name is inspired by 1D's song, _Story Of My Life. _Thanks for reading!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bones.**

* * *

**CHRISTINE'S POV**

"Christine, I heard your alarm go off ten minutes ago! Shouldn't you be up already?"

My mother's voice makes me wake up from my comfortable sleep I had just drifted back into. I groan into my pillow and hear her knock on my door.

"I know, mom, I heard you the first time!" I snap, sitting up. The light coming in through my window makes me squint and I see my reflection in my mirror across the room. I quickly look away, not wanting to think about how bad I look when I wake up. I walk to my closet and pull out some jeans and a t-shirt and slump into my bathroom. I hear my phone buzz on the counter as soon as I walk in.

**Michael: Hurry up. I have donuts.**

I smile to myself as I start straightening to my hair. Michael has been my best friend for..well forever. He knows everything about me, each deep dark secret that I could never tell anyone else. His parents work with mine at the Jeffersonian downtown, and we've been together ever since birth really. I've never had an actual best friend that's a girl because I've always had Michael. And my boyfriend of the moment. Some people think I'm a slut but that's only because I've had 5 boyfriends throughout my whole middle school and high school year, I'm a senior, which isn't that big of a deal. I mean, I haven't dated that many boys, and I definitely haven't slept with any as our relationship never got that far. I guess I just haven't found the one for me, so I'm going to keep trying until I do. My parents aren't very pleased about that fact, and neither is Michael, but hey? What can you do? As long as I make good grades and stay involved in science, which I am, my mom will be happy. And my dad is just pleased that I'm on the soccer team and still have some morals. I mean, they'd love me no matter what but I still like to make them proud.

When I put on my chapstick and grab my bookbag from my bedroom door, my phone buzzes again. I text Michael saying I'm ready and walk downstairs.

"About time you woke up. Here, have some breakfast before you go." My mom says when I walk into the massive kitchen, gesturing to a bagel. I shake my head.

"Nah, I'm fine. Michael texted me saying he's bringing donuts."

She nods and looks back down at a stack of papers in front of her. As if on cue, the door opens and I hear Michael's familiar sound of converse hitting our hardwood. I love how he just walks in now, no knocking or anything. He's that welcome.

"Good Morning, Michael. Did you sleep well?" Mom asks. That's so typical of her.

"Good Morning, Dr. B. It was fine. Hey, C. Ready?" He says, nodding to me. I smile, nodding. I look back at my mom to say goodbye, but she's already engrossed in her work. I turn away and we walk out into the crisp November air.

"Here." Michael says, handing me a donut.

"Hey, you even got my favorite and everything! You must really love me." I tease, taking the blueberry donut. He laughs and shakes his head, looking down at his feet as we walk to his car.

My house is a 15 minute drive to school so we have plenty of time to talk about whatever's going on in our lives at that time, even though we basically know everything there is to know.

"So how's-"

"Don't ask. We have to take him to the-"

"Vet? Is he okay? I bet it's-"

"No, Michael, my cat can't have rabies no matter how cool it sounds." I laugh, finishing his sentence. He smirks.

"It could happen! That poor cat..remember that one time on your old swingset when I was trying to hold him and-"

"Oh my gosh, that was hilarious! He completely attacked you. You still have that scar-"

"Yep, right above my right wrist. See?" He says, pushing up his jacket sleeve to show me the small white line just above his wrist. "Hey, you haven't eaten any of your donut. What the heck, that cost me a whole trip to the kitchen and everything." He says, dramatically rolling his eyes. I laugh and take a big bite of my donut, trying to make a point.

"There. Happy?" I mock. He smiles and nods.

"Very."

Hmm. For an eighteen year old, he sure did know how to act like a kid.

I finish off the donut as we walk up the steps of Washington High School. We get to the doors and, as always, he opens the door for me.

Everyone acknowledges us as we walk in. We are moderately popular. Michael is definitely more popular than I am, but that's only because he's a little more outgoing. Everyone notices him, except Stewart. Stewart notices me instead as Michael and I arrive at our lockers.

"Hey, Christine." He comes up to me and smiles.

"Hey, Stewart." I smile back at him. He's so perfect. He's got a row of perfect teeth and spiked up blonde hair. He's the most popular jock in school. I don't really date guys on the football team, so it's a big deal that we have been talking. I'm not dating him...yet. He likes to make girls work for it.

"Hey, I was wondering if you could tutor me tomorrow. Or, you know, we could do other things." He winks at me. I try to act like I'm totally not a virgin when he says this, but that's a lie.

"Hey, watch it. She's studying with me tomorrow." Michael puts his hand in between me and Stewart. I forgot Michael was even standing there.

"Alright, geez Michael chill out." Stewart backs off and walks away.

"Michael! You freaking scared him off!" I slap him.

"Good." He mutters. "Alright, have a good day, C. I'll meet you this afternoon-"

"Same place, same time" We say in unison.

* * *

I hear the crunch of my vans against the leaves as I traveled up the walkway to my front door, I stepped inside the house after waving towards Michael in his car. I check the time, 3:15. I had more than an hour and a half until I had to meet Michael at our usual meeting place. I pass my dad in the den.

"Hey, princess! How was your day?" He asks when he sees me.

"The usual. Work?"

"The usual." He says with a smile. We had this same conversation everyday after school for as long as I could remember. You'd think maybe something eventful would happen for once. I run upstairs to start on an essay that was due this Friday to pass the time.

At 4:40 I head back downstairs to find that my parents had left for a date. I went to the kitchen to get some Raisinettes before I heading to the backyard. I see Michael on my trampoline, at the usual time and the usual place. I smile to myself and run to see him.

"I see that you happen to have my favorite candy in your hand. You didn't think you could just get away with that, did you?" He smirks and tries to grab for the package.

"You're such a nerd for liking these." I tease and pull away so he can't get them.

"Look who's talking." He murmurs as he stands up and jumps back down, knocking me back and making the package fall from my hands.

"Hey!" I call out, laughing.

"Too late!" He exclaims as he grabs it before I can get to it. We collapse on top of each other, my head on his chest. I can hear his heartbeat and that calms me. He rubs his thumb over my shoulder as we look up at the sky.

"I still think that cloud looks like an Easter Bunny giving a turtle some drugs.." He mumbles and I shake my head.

"Michael, it's obviously just a sailboat. It's a plain old sailboat."

He laughs, which makes my head shake. I let his laughter fill my ears.

"What are you thinking about?" He whispers, still out of breath.

"Nothing important." I say back, and I sit up. I look back at him and he almost looks….is that disappointment? No, I'm imagining things. We sit in silence and I look around the yard into the woods that we walk through to get to and from school.

"So..uh..did you see all those flyers up in the halls today for that uh..that dance?" I hear Michael ask. I look at him.

"Yeah. The Winter Dance."

"Let me guess. You're going with someone else." He assumes.

"You guess correctly, I was already asked." I tell him, pushing a strand of hair behind my ear and pulling my knees up to my chest. I can feel Michael's eyes on me, but when I look at him he looks away.

"Oh, come on, C. Seriously? I thought you and Trevor broke up." He sits up.

"We did. But that just means I'm back on the market, I'm talking to Stewart." I see him roll his eyes. I ignore it. He's made it very clear to me that he hates me dating. I don't really understand why though. "Why the sudden interest in trying to get me to go with you?" I throw at him. He looks down at his converse laces and messes with a loose thread.

"Maybe I-"

His reply is interrupted by his mother's ringtone.

"Hello?" He answers the phone.

"Michael! We're going out. William took Holly and Zach to the bowling alley for a few hours so you have the house to yourself until 8:30. Okay?" I hear Angela speak through the phone.

"Okay. But I'm at Christine's. Bye mom." He puts his phone back in his pocket.

"I love the fact the Will is only fourteen but he can just walk to anywhere, but when I was fourteen I might as well have been under lock down." He says, shaking his head.

"It's a different world, I guess. Either that or your parents just gave up." I tease, laughing. He laughs and get off of the trampoline. He holds out his hand for me and I take it and get on his back and we head to my basement. I know what you're thinking. 'Oh my gosh, your parents aren't home and you're going to the house together. You know what that means.' Yes, I know what you mean. But it's so not like that. Michael and I are basically like brother and sister and Michael would never start liking me.

* * *

** MICHAEL'S POV**

My name is Michael Hodgins, and I am completely in love with Christine Booth.


	2. Chapter 2

**MICHAEL'S POV**

_-6 years ago-_

_Giggles escaped in short breaths. She was amused. Bright blonde hair cascaded down her back. The blue in her eyes mimicked the cloud-ridden sky. She turned and smiled at me, her famous "Booth Charm" smile sculpted on her face. For an 11 year old, she was beautiful. It was no secret. There we were, perched on cold rocks above a huge waterfall. The annual Hodgins-Booth summer vacation. We'd vacationed together for the last 5 years._

_"Michael, don't be ridiculous. Mosquitos are a pain! We don't need them to function in the real world." She slapped a mosquito off her leg._

_"Christine, haven't I taught you anything?" I joked with her, "Would you be able to live without food?"_

_"Well…factoring in new technolo-"_

_"No, you wouldn't." I butted in._

_"No…I wouldn't." She inched out, getting the message._

_"Then neither can spiders. They eat mosquitos. We need spiders to 'function'" I put air quotes around the last part._

_Her eyebrows raised then fell. Her mouth opened as if she was about to say something but molded closed. "Fine. Mosquitoes are important...because they feed the spiders. And we need spiders to kill the mosquitos." She rolled her eyes then laughed again. "Thanks mosquitos, for keeping spiders alive so they can kill you!" The sun cast on her face making a dimple more prominent by her left cheek._

_And then it happened…_

_It was like I was smacked in the gut then pushed from a building. I was falling, falling fast into a new world of exploration and dangers. I was falling hard for Christine Booth._

...

I fell in love with Christine and haven't fallen out. I never will. When I realized that, 6 years ago, I lived in fear. I hid it from everyone, less drama for me. Of course my mom and dad found out 2 years ago. They noticed how I looked at her, with every intention of love. It's a shock Booth hasn't noticed either. Then again, maybe he does but wants to avoid the dreadfully awkward discussion of how obsessed I am with his daughter. I do know for a fact that Christine doesn't know. She's got too much Brennan gene to pick up my subtle hints. I've gotten so close to coming right out and telling her. As close as water molecules rub together at room temperature. As close as southern and northern magnetic poles attract to each other. As close as the barrel of Booth's gun would get to my body if I ever hurt Christine. Yeah, let's just stick to keeping this information away from Christine. It drives me crazy. She's the forbidden fruit on my tree of temptation, I want her but I can't have her. I'm too scared to have her, to hold her. Because I'd never want to hurt her, or confess my undying love for her and find that she wants nothing to do with me. I'm scared of the heartbreak. I'm a real coward. These last 6 years have been nothing but disappointment. Sure, I love when we hang out..as friends. I love doing school projects with her and watching movies on the couch. But that's never been enough for me. And I can't blame anything on her but it sure pisses me off when she comes over sobbing about the next deadbeat boyfriend who breaks her heart. I'm left to pick up the pieces, to mend the heart, to wipe the tears. I want to be the one to ensure she's never hurt again. It'd take a lot to achieve that from Christine.

Speaking of Christine, she is currently in my downstairs basement right now as I pop some popcorn. Christine always likes studying with me, and I like studying with her. Not for the reasons you'd think, we both have deemed to be the smartest in our classes, so while I _am_ in love with her, I also like getting the opinion of another smart student. Then again, I also like watching her think, the way her brows furrow together when she's concentrating, the way she bites the end of her pencil when she's confused, the way her hair falls all over her paper when she gets tired of the subject we're studying. Everything. I love everything about her. God, I sound like such a girl.

"Michael, did you die up there? Because if you did, I'm still taking the popcorn!" I hear her voice call from downstairs.

"Yeah, okay." I call back, unable to think of a good comeback at the moment. I grab the bowl and two cans of soda and go down the stairs. When I walk into the room, Christine is sitting on the couch, dozens of papers and textbooks sprawled in front of her on the coffee table. She looks so perfect, sitting right there.

"Michael? Come on, don't be shy. It's not like this is your own basement or anything. Hurry up." She teases, making me feel like an idiot for just standing in the doorway admiring her. It really is a mystery why she isn't aware of my feelings.

"Oh, shut up." I hand her the bowl and she willingly takes it from my hands. She hands me a pencil and I sit down next to her, obvious of the distance between us on the couch.

"Okay, so I have a test tomorrow in….earth to Michael. Mikey, are you okay? You seem a little out of it today. We don't have to study if you aren't feeling it. We can do something else."

_We can do something else. _The way she said it.. no, stop. She meant watch TV or some lame crap like that.

"No it's fine. You have a test tomorrow, you need to study. I'll just watch." Just watch? Damn, I sound like a creeper. I look at her as she bites on her pencil. She's obviously confused. Yep, way to go, Michael. Just as she's about to say something, her phone buzzes. I can see her screen from here. It says **Stewart**. Who the hell is Stewart? She picks up her phone and answers the text from this mystery guy, a pretty smile on her pretty face. And that's when I realize that I have no chance with her. Here I am, thinking about all the wonderful things about her and how much I want her when she's already texting yet another guy. I let my anger get the best of me and I stand up.

"You know what? I don't wanna bother you so I'm just gonna go upstairs. You know where to find me." I say and leave Christine with a puzzled look on her face. When I get upstairs, I go to my room and slam the door. I'm such an idiot. How can I have feelings for Christine? I can't. There's no way I can keep living like this. But then, there's no way I can't live like this either. Christine is worth it. She always has and she always will. I put on some athletic clothes and go to the weight room to let my frustrations out.

* * *

**CHRISTINE'S POV**

Well that was weird. Michael just completely left me in his basement. He never just leaves without any explanation unless he's…

He's upset.

What did I do to make him upset? I rewind our conversation in my mind, going through each word said. He only got mad when I got that text… Is he mad about that? What the heck? I put the popcorn bowl down and go upstairs to try and find him.

"Michael?" I call out. No answer. I go up on the second floor to see if he's in his room. Nope. That's when I hear the clanging of metal, and I immediately head towards the weight room. I turn the corner and see Michael's bare torso through the glass and I freeze. He's lifting weights, his muscles contracting over and over again. His skin is glistened with sweat, and my heart starts to pound.

Whoa. Hold on, Christine. Why did I just get that feeling? You know, that feeling when you kinda get attracted to someone? No. No…

I back away and run down the stairs, images of a shirtless, muscular Michael in my head. I need to leave. I need to go home. I need t-

"Christine? Are you okay?"

"Huh?" I look behind me and see Michael at the end of the hall.

"You seem...flustered?" He wipes his forehead with a towel and throws it in his room.

Oh, you know, I'm just all of a sudden really attracted to you since you're standing right in front of me without a shirt on. "No, I'm fine." I lie.

"Oh." He nods with..disappointment? This is too much for me.

"So, I'm just gonna go then? It turns out that I know all the stuff that's going to be on that test tomorrow, so." I awkwardly laugh. He does the same.

"I'll walk you down." He offers, walking towards me. I put my hands up but immediately put them back down so I wouldn't touch his body.

"No!" I stumble over my words. "Uhm, no. I mean no, I'm okay. I can walk down by myself. I mean-"

Michael chuckles and nods. "Whatever, Chrissy." He turns back around and walks into his room, turning on his light. I stand all alone in his hallway, trying to organize my thoughts.

"Michael?" I call out. Right away, he walks into the hall.

"Yes?" He asks, almost seeming hopeful.

"Why did you leave me downstairs a few minutes ago?"

He seems cornered as I ask him this question. "Uhhhh..oh! That! Well, you see, I forgot that I needed to do my daily..reps and.." He trails off.

"Since when do you have..daily reps, is that it?" I try him.

"You can't get a body like this without them." He winked at me. I suddenly found myself extremely turned on, but I push it down. I nervously laugh and walk away, hoping he will stop me. I'm about to give up hope when I feel his hand on my arm. I turn around, closer to him than I ever have been before. I can feel his hot breath, and I get chills.

"Be careful on your drive back, okay?" He says lowly. I nod, not able to find my words. Why do I feel so nervous? I need sleep. I'll be fine tomorrow.

* * *

**MICHAEL'S POV**

"Alright. Bye." I tell her, and turn on my heel, leaving her in the hallway alone. Damn, I hope she didn't notice how nervous I was when I touched her arm. We were so close, I could smell that stupid perfume she insisted on getting when she was in her last fucked up relationship. I could've counted every shade of blue in the dazzling eyes of hers, I could've. But I just ended the moment, right there. Wait, what moment? She's completely clueless to my feelings, so it's just a one-sided thing we have going here. I hear the door close downstairs, and I let out a scream. Why do I have to be so stupid around her? You've known her forever Michael, stop! I wish I could just run outside, tell her how I feel, and walk away. Just like that. But I know I can't do that. I can't.

Man, I really fucked up.


	3. Chapter 3

**CHRISTINE'S POV**

"Okay, where to first?" Michael turns to face me. His hand grasps the steering wheel of his jeep as I buckle up.

"I need to go to the library and-"

"Whoa there, Einstien. I meant someplace fun. Like the mall or the movies." He raises his eyebrows. "Any takers?"

Okay, I know what you're thinking, _'Why are you guys fine again?'_ Well, one thing that me and Michael have always been great at is getting past things. We are too good of friends to let an awkward moment stop us.

"Fine, you win. But you can buy dinner." I tell him. We park in front of the movie theater and I get out of the car before he can decline.

"Oh, crap. I completely forgot that tonight was the annual couple night." He smirks and tries to trip me.

"What the crap, Michael." I say, laughing. He's right, the couples tonight are ridiculous. They're everywhere, and I feel like gagging everytime we pass one. I'm one to talk of course, I just got over my 4th break-up.

"Someone better stop that guy before he eats her face." Michael says as we pass a couple making out against the brick wall of the theater. I laugh and we get to the ticket booth.

A middle-aged woman with stringy black hair sits behind the glass. When she sees us, she presses a button and speaks into a microphone.

"How many tickets and for what movie?" I cringe at her smoker voice. Michael notices but doesn't say anything.

"Hi, uhm. Yeah we'd like two tickets for…" He looks over at me to see what movie I approve of. I shrug my shoulders. "Two tickets for Victory." He sweetly tells the woman.

I chuckled to myself. Typical of him to choose a dystopian, alien, war movie, Mr. Conspirator he is. Just like his dad. He took the tickets and we entered the theater.

"What? You didn't want to see Too Soon?" I winked at him.

"While I do love a good chick flick," He inhaled and exhaled as his arm wrapped around my shoulder, "I'm going to stick with remote, tyrannic aliens whose life goal is to wreck havoc all over the world."

I scoffed, "You're just like your dad."

He chuckles as we walk up to the concession stand. A nice looking guy with light green eyes is behind the counter.

"How may I help you?" He asks formally.

"Large popcorn, two medium root beers and-" He looks over at me. "A box of Raisinettes." I roll my eyes. The guy behind the counter nods and goes to get everything.

"What if I didn't want that?" I challenge him.

"Christine." He says, looking at me. "I've known you forever. I think I am perfectly capable of ordering for you now without messing up." I smile and look away. We get our order and Michael pays the guy. As we're walking away, Michael looks back at the guy.

"Whoa, Chrissy. Did you see the way that guy looked at you? Want me to get his number?" He jokes.

"If I didn't have drinks in my hand, I would slap you." I tell him, shaking my head. He holds the theater door open for me and we walk into the dark room. The previews are on, so we haven't missed anything yet. We find a seat somewhere in the middle and sit down.

"Haven't been to one of these in a while." Michael says, taking a sip from his drink. I nod, agreeing with him. I haven't had time for anything these days, all of my focus going into my studies and boys. I hear a loud laugh a few rows behind us and I glance back.

"Oh my god." I whisper. The movie starts.

"What?" Michael whispers.

It was Stewart. We weren't serious or anything, but we had been talking. But there he is, sitting only a few rows behind me, with another girl. I groan, earning a "Shut up!" from someone near us.

"Well, I am..well was..talking to this guy, but it looks like he's found another girl." I put the popcorn bucket down, suddenly not hungry anymore. I can't see Michael's face in the dark, but judging by his breathing, he isn't okay.

"Damn it, Christine, you really do know how to pick them." He says under his breath. His words cause my tears to form. He's right. I need to just stop with guys.

"Uhm. Can we leave?" I ask, trying not to let Michael see me cry. He nods and stands up, giving Stewart a glare. Too bad Stewart has no idea what's going on. I start off walking, and then running down the stairs to leave. When I finally get into the dimly lit hall, I sit down against the wall and put my head in my hands. I feel Michael sit down beside me and put his arm around me, saying nothing.

"I'm so sorry." I apologize, wiping my face. Michael shakes his head in disgust. "What?" I croak.

"You're apologizing for getting your heart broken. Do you know how ridiculous that is?"

"But..the movie."

"Who cares about that movie? I can see it again. I just wanted to.." He trails off. I look over at him.

"You wanted to what?"

"I just wanted to spend time with you, that's all. And we're doing that right now, so I'm okay. So don't apologize for something you don't have control of." He runs his hand through his hair and looks down the hall. An older couple is walking our way, and when they see us sitting against the wall, they frown. I am suddenly aware of how strange we look, and I stand up. Michael follows.

"Where do you want to go?" He asks as we walk towards his car. I feel bad, but I really just want to be home.

"Can you just take me home?" I ask, getting in his car. His face falls but he nods. I stare out the window as we drive away.

* * *

**MICHAEL'S POV**

Go home? She wants to home? All because of a guy. I never get to just go out to the movies with Christine, we're always at home or school. I thought I hated this Stewart guy before, but now...there are no words. I turn into her neighborhood and let out a sigh, one she probably won't acknowledge. I stop in her driveway, letting the car idle.

She stares blankly at the dashboard. "Thank you for taking me out tonight. I..I'm so sorry." She gets out before I can see her start to cry again. I slam my hands into the steering wheel when she's made it inside. "God fucking damnit!" This guy is going to pay, but how-

The theater. I look at the clock. The movie is already halfway over. I have time. I back out of her driveway and head back to the theater.

When I get to the parking lot, I park the car and head straight for the door, only to realize I can't get in without a ticket. Buying a ticket just to beat up the guy that broke my best friend's heart would be a waste of money, though. I decide to just wait outside for the jerk. The movie should be over in twenty minutes. The minutes tick by slowly, and I start to lose patience. I hear voices and I turn to look at the door. People are filing out of theater. I search the crowd of people for his face, only to realize that I don't remember what he looks like.

_Well, damn_. I think. What a lost cause. I could've really done some damage-

"Oh, Stewart, that's hilarious!" An annoying voiced girl squeals behind me. I turn and look. There he is. God, he's the typical jock. Blonde hair, blue eyes, buff body, and a major jerk. I start to walk towards him, every step igniting my anger more. I don't stop walking until my fist makes contact with his grossly chiseled face.

His body slams into the brick wall behind him, his hand holding his now bloody mouth.

"What the hell-"

"Wow. You actually thought you would get away with it."

His eyes are wild with confusion as he tries to steady himself. "What are you talking about, man?"

"Do you know a girl named Christine?" I ask him, already knowing the answer. His brow furrows, but the realization flashes in his eyes. He glances at his date.

"It's not what it looks like-"

"Bullshit." I mumbled before tackling him. His date screams, and a crowd forms around us, but I don't care. All I can think of is Christine's tear-ridden face, her sobs filling my ears. I hit him one more time, forcing myself to not slam his skull against the hard concrete. I slowly stand up, wiping my hands on my jeans before turning away.

"Freeze." I hear a man's voice behind me. Shit. I turn around to see two security guards staring at me, touching the guns on their belts. I bite my lip and nod, putting my hands in the air. I look behind me once more as they escort me to their police cars. I see Stewart moaning on the ground, holding his bloody mangled up face. _What the hell have I done?_


	4. Chapter 4

**Huge thanks to ArtificiallyIntelligent for the WONDERFUL review last chapter. It made me smile, it was so cute. I like chocolate pudding! :) Okay, this is weird. Okay, this chapter has been through the editing process too many times to count so I'm just going to leave it be and post it. I'm sorry if it's OOC or weird, please acknowledge that it used to be worse and I tried my best to make this certain conversation happen as best as I could. Thanks! PLEASE REVIEW BECAUSE IT MAKES ME HAPPY AND UPDATE FASTER!**

* * *

** BOOTH'S POV**

"Is Christine okay?" I ask Bones. She shrugs her shoulders and continues to type on her laptop.

"I'm not quite sure. I'm sure she'll come around."

I nod and look at the stairs. She's been in her room for the past two hours without any word to us.

"Another boy, huh?"

"And that surprises you?" Her eyebrows raise. I shake my head with a sigh. I feel like we've done this same routine many times with Christine.

"You don't think it was Michael, do you?" I raised my eyebrow at her.

Bones looks over at me, with a slightly offended look on her face, "Why would you think that? Michael is a good boy. He would never hurt Christine, even if his life depended on it." It was a big deal for her to say something like that. I open my mouth to reply but my phone rings. It's Angela.

"Booth." I answer the phone.

"Booth! I need your help. It's Michael..he got arrested and I'm out of town. I won't be able to get him out." Panic is in her voice. Speak of the devil. The suspicions I tried to ignore rang true.

"What the hell? I swear if he did anything to Christine I'll kill him." I end the call before Angela can scold me. "That was Angela. I have to go down to the police station to bail Michael out of jail, sadly." Bones looks up.

"What? Why?"

"We can only hope he didn't touch Christine. But Angela and Jack need me. I'll be back-hopefully. I might have something to dispose of before I come home."

"Booth! Again, Michael is a good young man. He would never do anything of that nature. I can't believe you would say something like that!"

It's probably a smart idea to get out of the house now.

* * *

When I get to the police station, I go to the front desk.

"Hello, I'm looking for a Michael Hodgins."

The tired looking woman behind the desk nods over to a holding cell and I thank her. I walk over to it and peer through the bar. Michael is sitting on a bench, head in hands. That's right, you better be sorry.

I clear my throat and he looks up. When he sees me, relief and fear flash on his face.

"What in the hell are you doing in here?" I cross my arms.

"Booth, I don't know what happened I-"

"Save it. Let's get you out of here first."

He rubs his face and nods. He's obviously distressed over the whole thing, and I'm in no place to tell him off, well maybe I am but I might as well give the guy a break for a few seconds, or at least give him a chance to explain himself before I go all apeshit on him, for Bones. I walk back over to the front desk.

"Let me guess. You're bailing him out, right?" The woman asks, looking up at me. I nod and she reaches for a folder under her desk. "Sign all of these. You may want to sit down, it'll take you a while."

I pull my badge out and flash it towards the receptionist, it's perfect for times like these. "Special Agent, Seeley Booth. I'd like you to release that young man right now. No questions asked."

The receptionist looks at me with utmost respect and fear. She speaks much nicer after that, "Certainly, sir." She then calls a guard over, telling him to open Michael's cell. He nods and walks over to the door, unlocking it.

"Booth, I can't thank you enough, really-"

"Not here." I interrupt him. He nods and we walk out of the station, hopefully for the last time. We get into my car and I decide to take him to get something to eat. I need some time to set things straight in his mind. I drive to the diner and park. We walk in and get a seat at the bar.

"Alright. Spill. But first, know that I'm not very happy with you right now. I'm rather mad, actually considering that my daughter ran inside with tears in her eyes because of you. So watch what you say." I say after ordering us both coffee.

His eyes get huge, "Uhm...It's n-not what you think. I-I didn't do anything to Christine! Why would you think that?"

"Well then, you sir, have quite some explaining to do." It brings me such joy to see him scared.

"I don't know what got into me...but...Christine...she saw this guy she was talking to at the movies with another girl, and she was crushed. And that killed me, seeing her like that. So I decided to..you know." He shrugged.

_Oh..._

"So you beat the guy up." He looks down at the floor and nods.

I feel pretty bad for accusing him like that. But hey? What else can a concerned father do?

My voice softens, "I'm...uh...I'm sorry I accused you. It wasn't right of me. I mean I know you're a good kid but seeing my daughter sad is hard and you were the closest person to blame because hey, you were just in jail 30 minutes ago."

He nods, "I understand. It was wrong of me to do that but it also kills me to see her sad." _Well. This is awkward. _

The least I can do is comfort him, "I know I shouldn't be saying this, but thank you. You shouldn't have beat that guy up, and you're probably going to get a ton of crap when your parents get home, but it was for a good cause." The waitress places the coffee mugs in front of us and I nod to her, thanking her.

"Wait...what?" He asks, confusion in his eyes. I chuckle.

"You were just looking out for the girl you lo-" I stop. "You were looking out for my daughter. Arrested or not, that means a lot. That means I can trust you to not hurt my girl." I tell him. And I mean it. As much as I hate the fact that he is obviously head over heels in love with my daughter, I know he's a good guy. Yes, that contradicts everything I just thought about the boy next to me. Cut me some slack.

"But, you just...you just accused me of hurting Chri-"

"Son. Please just take the compliment. I don't give those often, you know."

"Well, thank you. I would do anything for Christine, you know that."

I nod and decide to cross a line that makes me cringe. "You really love her, don't you?" _What the fuck, Booth?_

He spits his coffee back into his cup at my words. "W-what?" He looks at me with a face of utter defeat as his red turns red. _Yep. I was right._ I shake my head, smiling.

"Are you going to kill me now?" He asks. I bust out laughing, making him nervously laugh, too.

"Of course not." _Doesn't mean I won't._ "Wait. Does she know?" I ask. He shakes his head. "Well damn, boy."

He puts his head on the table. "I know. I know." He says.

"When are you going to tell her?" _Why in the depths of hell am I having this conversation with him?_

He sits up again and looks at me. "What? Why would I tell her?"

"Are you kidding me?" I'm appalled. "You have to tell her. You're making things worse by keeping it in. Look, I know I'm not as young as I used to be, but I know a thing or two about these things, and if you don't tell her, you'll never get her. And what if she loves you back? That means hurting her, which I don't like. At all. "

His face falls when I mention Christine getting hurt by him. "I'll never get her anyway. Why would she love me?" He hangs his head and I start to feel bad for the boy. I went through the same thing those 7 years when Bones and I danced around each other. I loved her and she was too blind to see it. Christine is a lot like Bones. And as much as I hate to say it, Michael is like me.

"Have you tried?"

"What?"

"Have you tried telling her how you feel about her?" _What am I doing?_

"She's too busy with other guys. I don't want to ruin that for her."

I finish off my coffee and push it away. "I kind of want to kill all the boys she dates. Maliciously murder them. They are nothing but trouble. Please ruin it for her." _Did I just say that out loud?_

He rubs the back of his neck, nervously. "I hate how crushed she gets over these jerks she calls her boyfriends. I could treat her so much better, give her so much more-" I turn to look at him in hopes of stopping him. He thankfully stops, glancing at me. I'm glad he did, this would've gotten more awkward than it already is.

"Alllright, great. I'm just going to end this hell of a conversation with this, if you hurt her, in ANY way, I will hurt you in ways you didn't even know existed." My voice echoes into his ears. His face freezes, taking in the information.

"I understand, sir." _Ahh...the relieving sound of fear. Too much kindness has been said for one evening._

"Good. Come on, let's go." I say, putting some money on the table and standing up. He follows me as I walk towards the door. I hope he doesn't ask anymore questions, because I'm worn out with all of this talk of love, especially concerning my daughter. He get into the car.

"I'm going to take you to our house until your parents get home. I'd really appreciate it if you talked to Christine. You know, make her feel better. I know you're good at that."

He nods as we head home.


	5. Chapter 5

**CHRISTINE'S POV **

I sit up, wiping my now swollen face. How long have I been crying? I'm glad no one has tried to come into my room to "comfort" me, but at the same time I think that's what I need now. As if on cue, there's a knock on my door.

"It's open."

To my surprise, Michael steps in, closing the door behind him.

"Hey. How are you?" He asks, concern in his voice.

I shrug and gesture for him to sit next to me on my bed. He does.

"So, have you been downstairs this whole time?" I ask, assuming he has. He shakes his head and looks at my floor. "Oh, where-"

"I got arrested. Your dad had to bail me out." _What the heck?_

"Are you joking or..?" I hope he is. Him getting arrested is completely ridiculous. He shakes his head. "What the heck did you do? And why did you do it?"

"I…" He hesitates, glancing at me. "You're going to hate me." He says. Oh god, it must've been bad.

"Tell me." I say, even though I'm not sure I really want to know.

"Well after I dropped you off here, I went back to the theater..and I kind of, sort of, you know, broke Stewart's face?"

I let his words sink in. He beat up Stewart? I should be mad, and I am, but instead, I start laughing. Uncontrollable laughter that makes me double over on my bed, bringing tears to my eyes. Good tears this time.

"You did? Oh my gosh I can't- I can't breathe." Michael looks concerned at my reaction. I finally calm down and look at him. "Michael. You could've gotten hurt. Are you okay?"

"You mean to tell me that here I am, telling you I just beat up your ass of a whatever that guy is and you're asking me if I'm okay?" He asks, smiling. I nod. I couldn't care less for Stewart right now. I'm about to tell Michael this when he pulls me in for a side hug.

"Michael, what-"

"I know it was stupid for me to beat him up, and I know it was dangerous and I know that without your dad I would still be in that cell, but it was worth it. It really was worth it because he hurt you and I hate seeing you hurt." I hear the honesty in his voice, making me smile. He pulls away from the hug. "Now let's just get rid of these." He wipes the remaining tears on my face off with his thumb and grins at me.

"You're amazing, Michael. I'm so glad to have you as my friend." His face suddenly falls at my words. "What?" I ask, reaching for him. He stands up from the bed and turns to face me.

"I, uhm. I should go." He says.

"No, don't go." I tell him. I need his support. He's the only one that can make me feel better, though I never tell him this. His eyes glisten a little when I tell him to stay, but he shakes his head.

"Can't you stay for dinner? Or you can watch the hockey game with me and dad or.." I trail off, trying to find excuses for him to stay. He runs his hand through his hair, a habit of his that I've always loved, and he looks towards the door.

"Christine, I have to tell you.." I stand up.

"What do you have to tell me?"

He bites his lip, and I look away. "I have to tell you that..that you better have some extra cans of soda down in your basement or I'm not staying for the game." He says, grinning. I fall into his arms, thanking him, and I run into the hall, only to see that he isn't following me.

"Mikey, are you coming?" I call for him. He's looking at pictures of us that I hung on my wall ages ago, rubbing their frames with his thumb. He looks up out of his trance and nods, following me downstairs.

* * *

**MICHAEL'S POV**

Christine grabs my hand and drags me down the staircase with a huge grin on her face, making my heart hurt. I was so close to telling her. But when she called me a "great friend" I just couldn't do it.

"Oh, hey guys," Booth sees me and Christine with interlocked fingers, "I assume Michael told you that he lo-"

_Oh shit. Booth has the wrong idea..._

"That I totally beat the shit out of Stewart, Christine." I cut in, saving myself. Booth raises his eyebrows, but then gets the message after I clear my throat. I see Christine squint her eyes in suspicion but she seems to brush it aside. I see Booth shake his head in the corner of my eye, but I ignore it. He doesn't get it.

"Mikey's staying for the game." She tells her father. Everytime she calls me Mikey, my heartache hurts worse. That's her special nickname for me and only me, but she only seems to use it when she has to. I think she knows how it gets to me. She sits down on the couch and I join her. Booth seems to notice the little amount of space between Christine and I, but doesn't say anything. I want to put my arm around her and let her rest her head on my chest while we enjoy the hockey game, but I can't. One, because her dad is sitting right there. And two, because I'm only her friend. Her goddamn friend. She looks up at me and gives me an innocent smile, making my stomach lurch. She really has no idea that I'm thinking about these things, does she? My phone rings in my pocket.

"Hello?"

"Michael Vincent Staccato Hodgins, how dare you not come home right away. You better be home in the next five minutes or you will be grounded for a month, do you hear me?" I cringe at my mother's tone and take the phone from my ear. Both Christine and Booth can hear her screams.

"Yes ma'am." I say, and she hangs up.

"Uhm...I kind of have to go..." I head towards the door.

"Good luck!" I hear Booth call behind me. I let out a sigh. Luck is definitely what I'll need. I look back at Christine and wave goodbye to her. She smiles and blows me a sarcastic kiss. Man, how much I would give for that kiss to be real. I reach my car and open the door.

"Michael!" I hear behind me.

"Christine? Get inside, it's freezing out here." I tell her, gesturing to her shorts. She keeps walking towards me.

"I thought you would need one of these for good luck." She says, and embraces me in a hug. I close my eyes, playing with the idea how it would feel to hold her like this if she was mine. I push the thought away, knowing deep down it will never happen.

"Thanks, Chrissy." I whisper. She leans back, my face in her hands.

"Just call me afterwards, okay? You know that I'll sneak into your room to save you if she grounds you..,which she will." She says with a laugh. I shake my head, wishing she would just lean her head forward just a little, just so our lips could brush-

_Stop it, Michael._

"Bye, Christine." I say, getting into my car. She waves at me and stays out in her driveway until I drive away.

* * *

**ANGELA'S POV**

"Michael Staccato Vincent Hodgins! What in the hell did you think you were doing? We had to come home early from vacation for this!" I screech towards my just arriving son. He jumps back, a look of shock on his face.

"Ange, babe, relax. He just got home. I think you should give him time to explain himself." Jack attempts to calm me by putting his hand on my shoulder.

"You got yourself arrested?" I scoffed, "Definitely some explaining to do." I cross my arms, willing him to begin.

"Well, it's a funny story," He chuckles nervously and runs his hand through his hair, "See, I was at the movies with Christine and she saw some asshole there who she was 'talking' to at that time, on a date with another girl," He puts air quotes around 'talking'. "And it really shook her up so I ended up taking her home because she was heartbroken and crying."

"Well, that really pissed me off because, one, my best friend is heartbroken. And two, he completely threw away a chance with Christine that I would fucking kill to have." His voice cracks and softens at the last part. A look of defeat hits his face and he slumps down onto the floor with a sigh.

I can't help but feel really bad for my son. He loves Christine with every fiber of his being. He is always there for her and is left to comfort her after another half-ass boy steals her heart, rips it in half, and steps on it. He never complains about it and doesn't deserve any of it. Everyone knows Michael loves her, except for her. The only one who really needs to know, doesn't. I feel my face soften in sympathy.

"Oh Michael," I speak much calmer, "What did you do about this?"

His dark brown eyes look up at me, "I gave him what he deserved. I kicked his ass." He speaks ever so seriously.

He really is just like his father. He fights for what he wants, what he's passionate about. A boy who gets a temper when you mess with him, or anyone he's close to. He can get mad enough to get himself arrested...but that's why I love him. Jack and I exchange glances then sit on both sides of our torn son.

"He deserved what he got." Jack whispered. "But then again, he didn't." He puts his arm around Michael's slumped shoulders.

"You were jealous, weren't you?" I try.

Michael clears his throat and speaks slowly, "I love her, mom. More than any other boy does, and will ever. I watch her fall into trap after trap of lust and desire, only to come out of them feeling anything but that. I'm left to fix her. She's totally blindsided about my feelings for her and her knowing won't change a thing, because there's always going to be someone better than me in her eyes." His voice breaks at the end, and he shakes his head. "I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize for your feelings, Michael. Have you told her?" I ask him.

"Why in the hell would I do that?" He turns to face me, an incredulous look on his face.

"Because look how much not having her tears you up. I hate seeing you like this as much as you hate seeing Christine hurt." I whisper. His faces softens as if my words meant something.

"Me telling her that I'm in love with her doesn't guarantee that I'll get to use that love, mom. Our friendship could completely disappear and we have quite the friendship."

"Or...your relationship could blossom into so much more." Jack tells him.

"Take this from an experienced point-of-view. Your father and I. We love eachother. We always have, but have we been together forever? No. We dated other people while we were in love with each other. You know why?" He turns to face me, hope in his dark eyes. "Because we masked the pain we had when we thought we couldn't work out."

Michael looks away again and we sit in silence until he can finally muster out, "You think that's why Christine dates other guys?"

"Well…" _How can I put this nicely?_ "No." The hope in Michael's face falls. "But that doesn't mean she won't realize that she's had feelings for you the whole time." Michael nods emotionlessly. I'm beginning to think that what I'm saying isn't really registering with him.

"Come on, man. You need to just tell her. Get it over with. Off your chest. Live a little." Jack cuts the silence.

"I asked her to the Winter Dance." Michael feigns interest.

"And?" I say.

He exhaled, "She said she was already asked."

"She'd probably go with you if she knew how you felt." I point out. He groans and stands up to face me and Jack on the floor.

"Well anyway. Enough about that. What's my punishment?" His arms fold across his chest.

"2 months,"

Michael lets out another groan.

"Unless."

He raises his eyebrow at my proposition.

"Unless you talk to Christine."

He groans and rubs his face. "What if it blows up in my face in the end?"

"What if you never stop overthinking everything?" I snap back.

"I will never stop overthinking things, just like I will never stop loving Christine." He turns around and walks to his room rather defeated.


	6. Chapter 6

**CHRISTINE'S POV**

2 months." Michael breaks the news as he runs his hand through his hair. It's an adorable nervous tic I always find him doing. Why is he so nervous about everything? I can't help but laugh at his grounding though.

"Aww...poor baby!" I babble sarcastically, "But seriously, I'll entertain you so don't worry." I notice his eyes gleam and his mouth curve up at one end, then his face wipes clean. "What?" I ask curiously.

"Nothing." His gaze turns towards the TV awkwardly. We were watching some stupid Hallmark movie in his living room.

"I guess this is your life for the next 2 months. Might as well get used to it." He turns to face me once more. There is hardly ever a time when he isn't looking at me.

"I'm just surprised she's letting me out of my room." He whispers in my ear so Angela doesn't hear him.

"I know!" I mouth back genuinely.

"You're stuck with me, so it won't be that bad...even if it is a prison." He half smiles at me, revealing a dimple on one side.

"But a badass like you would know all about prison, wouldn't you?" I tease him.

"Guilty! I know!" He plays along.

I turn from my original seated position to lay down instead. I put my head on the armrest of the sofa and shift my legs onto Michael's lap. I focus my attention to the TV and we sit in silence for a big portion of the movie. Occasional yawns and laughter subsided. I never realised just how badly scripted and cast Hallmark movies were until I actually sat and watched one.

"This is disgusting. I mean look at her. She's walking away right after he told her how he felt about her. It's crazy, but I do kind of see where she's coming from...they've been best friends for forever. Then, suddenly, he's in love with her. It must have been a shock to her."

"I bet it was." Michael replies, sounding a little down. His gaze fixes on the screen. I know he isn't thinking about anything I just said, I can see it in his eyes. He seems almost...sad.

* * *

**MICHAEL'S POV**

I can't help but to think of how this story is so close to my situation with Christine. Any idiot would notice the resemblance. And Christine is no idiot. It's almost like someone filmed our relationship and turned it into a shitty movie. Of course, that can't be true because in the movie the guy actually tells her how he feels, where as I haven't told her anything. I wonder how she would react if she ever found out that I have feelings for her, much less love her. I can't tell her. I won't. I can't let my feelings get in the way of our life-long relationship. I mean, I've lasted 7 years without telling her, I think I can get away with the rest of my life.

I feel her looking at me and my ears turn red. Damn, I hate when they do that. It's been like this since I was born, and I can't seem to shake the embarrassing thing.

"You're sad." She says softly. Shit, I might as well be made out of glass, she sees through me so easily. I shake my head in denial.

"Michael, come on. I've known you for what, my whole life? So that means I have free access to all of your deepest feelings. 'Fess up." Her ocean eyes begged me.

_'Yeah, if I told you my deepest feelings you would be freaked out.'_ I want to respond. I let out a sigh and rub my face. She's still looking at me. I decide to just wing it.

"Okay so..I'm curious." I tell her. Her eyebrows raise, telling me to continue. "What if you were in that girl's situation? What would you do? Would you continue to be the guy's best friend, maybe even lover, or would you ditch him?" I look down to see my clenched hands grasping the couch. I let go, the color returning to my knuckles.

"Well...that's a tough question. It all depends if she has feelings for him, too. How long was this guy keeping it in? That matters, too. And they are best friends for a reason, right?" She looks back at me for an answer and I nod. "Then why would they let this one little thing ruin their friendship?"

Relief floods through me. She's right. If I do ever tell her my feelings, our friendship is too important to just throw away. I smile, content with her answer.

"Well, I'm glad you're feeling better." She tells me as she looks at her phone. "I have to get home. Have fun finishing this wonderful movie. Tell me how it ends!" She laughs and winks at me in a flirtatious way. My throat tightens as she stands and walks toward the door.

"Bye, Angela!" She calls to my mom.

"See ya, Christine! Have a safe drive, okay?" I hear my mom answer back from the kitchen. Christine smiles and opens the front door, but before stepping outside, she turns back to me.

"Oh, by the way. I know that wasn't the reason why you're sad." She smirks and closes the door.

"Yes it is." I grunt and whisper to myself when I know she's gone. I see my mom leaning on the doorway of the foyer. I turn to face her. She's got her arms crossed and her eyebrow raised. "What?"

"Oh, Michael. You really don't wanna tell her, huh?" She asks.

"I really don't, mom. I'm sitting in hell instead." I smile at her.

"If you want to go to the Winter Dance, I'll allow it. Do you?" _Whoa._

"Uhh...yeah I was asked by some girl named Hannah. I think I'll go with her." I know what it feels like to be too scared to engage in feelings and if Hannah was brave enough to ask me, she deserves a good answer. I also don't think anyone deserves their feelings to be destroyed like mine are. Especially not a sweet girl like Hannah.

"You really are a good boy, Michael." She smiled at me, understanding why I'm going with Hannah. I nod glumly. Don't get me wrong, Hannah's great, really. But...my subconscious is always nagging me about how she isn't Christine.

"I'm think I'm gonna go ahead and go to bed, Mom." I say, standing up. I've decided that the more I talk about going to the dance with some random girl that isn't Christine, the more I wanna back out. But deep down I know I just need to try and attempt to lose my feelings for Christine.

_Yeah, like that'll happen._

* * *

**Review! Chapter 7 is actually done already, should I post it? Tell me your thoughts on the fic, please! Love you guys. **


	7. Chapter 7

**Well, you guys got me. I'm posting chapter 7! Thanks for the nice reviews!**

* * *

**ANGELA'S POV**

"Oh, sweetie. Look at you!" I gasp as my son emerges from upstairs in a suit and tie. He rubs the back of his neck and smiles. "Come here." I adjust his tie when he walks over to me.

"I have to pick up Hannah soon." He says. I nod and smile at him for his kindness. I know he really loves Christine, but to be honest, she wouldn't have said yes. Hell, I bet she's found someone to go with already. It really makes me mad thinking about how Michael won't tell her. Michael notices my hesitance and steps back, brows furrowed.

"What?"

"Oh, nothing. I'm just proud of you." I give him a reassuring smile and walk into the kitchen as he leaves. I really hate this for him. He loves Christine so much but he decides to go with another girl. It's not even his fault. I really wish I could just tell that girl-

There's a knocking on the door. I put my dish rag down and go to open it.

"Christine?" I say, surprised. I look at her normal jeans and hoodie. She should be at the dance, she always goes.

"Oh, hey Ange." She slightly waves. "I was just wondering if I could come in and hang out with Mikey for a while."

_She doesn't know._

"Oh. Sweetie, he isn't here. He'll be back later tonight though. You can catch him then."

She looks confused. "Where did he go?" She seems concerned, and upset.

"Uhm...he's...he went to the dance." I mutter. Her eyes grow wide, and I instantly feel guilty for telling her.

"He...he went with someone?" She stutters and my heart breaks for her. She doesn't even know the whole story.

"Yeah. With some girl named Hannah. They're probably there now. If-"

"I have to go. Bye Angela." She blinks a few times and rushes to her car. I sure do hope I didn't just shoot myself in the foot.

* * *

**CHRISTINE'S POV**

I back out of the Hodgin's driveway and try and push away the burning feeling I have inside. Michael went to the dance without even telling me. With Hannah, some girl I have never heard him speak about. I'm not even sure why I feel this way, or why I'm pulling into the school parking lot. I turn the car off and put my head against the steering wheel. Why is he doing this? But what is he doing? He didn't do anything to me. I mean it's not like we had anything special. He just went with another girl to the dance.

I get out of the car and head towards the door. I see my reflection in the windows and cringe at my appearance. I thought that I was just going to hang out with Michael tonight so I threw on some jeans. I don't even have makeup on. I never do around Michael because I feel comfortable around him. But I thought I knew him..and he wouldn't just do this. He would be the one to stay home, not me.

I walk through the doors hesitantly. There's two girls in white dresses behind a table when I walk into the lobby.

"Hello! One ticket?" One girl squeaks out. She looks at my outfit and glances at the other girl, but doesn't say anything. Crap, I have no money.

"Uhm..I just need to see someone for a second." I try and look past them to look in the gym door window, but the other girl's voice interrupts me.

"Sorry, but no ticket, no entrance."

I roll my eyes dramatically so they can see how ticked off I am. All I freaking wanna do is-

The door opens and I hear a familiar laugh that makes my heart leap. Wait what?

"Christine?"

I look past the girls and see Michael standing in front of the gym door, confused.

"Hey, I-"

"Michael, you left your wallet on your chair." I hear. I feel my face get red as I see none other than Hannah Waters. It's not the fact that she looks drop dead gorgeous, or that she's holding on to Michael's arm, it's that she's the sweetest person I've ever met. Why did it have to be her? It's harder to hate her now. Wait..why do I hate her? She looks at me and smiles.

"Oh, alright. Is it okay if I go talk to Chris for a second? I'll meet you back in there in a minute." He tells her. She nods and heads back to the gym. Michael faces me and looks at me with curious eyes.

"What are you doing here?" He asks me. I glance at the ticket girls and back at him. He gets the message and heads outside. I follow him.

"So..what's going on?" He asks again. I look around awkwardly, suddenly feeling really foolish for coming.

"I uhm..I just..why did you come here tonight?"

His brows furrow. "What?"

I let out a frustrated sigh. _What am I doing?_ "You didn't tell me you were coming to the dance."

"You never asked." He smirks and walks more towards the center of the parking lot.

"Well I didn't think I would have to, considering we're best friends." I cut at him with words.

He turns around to face me at my remark. "Are you mad that I came or something?"

"Yeah!" I scream. He steps back with confusion. "I mean, I-"

"You're jealous?" He raises his eyebrow.

_Shit._ Am I? No.. When I don't answer he runs his hands through his hair and turns his back to me.

"Damn, it Christine." He mumbles.

"What? I'm not jealous, I just..I just..I'm sorry I even came, okay?" I yell and start to walk away but I feel Michael's hand grab my arm and spin me around.

"No. Tell me how you're feeling." His eyes are staring straight into mine. I don't know how I feel. I don't even know why I drove here. What was I going to accomplish? I shake my head and turn my head.

"You really have no idea, do you?" He asks.

"What?" I turn back to him.

"You're completely clueless when it comes to love, Christine. You always go out with all sorts of jerks, complaining about never being with one that truly loves you."

His words sink into me. "Yeah, well no one does, Michael! I get it!" I snap.

"Fuck!" He yells and looks around us. He rubs his face with one hand. "Can't you see.." He trails off innocently.

"What?" Our voices are getting louder. He turns to me and in one forceful stride, I see him in my face.

"That I've been here the whole time! I always pick up the broken pieces that trail behind you. I swear, you literally ask for heartbreak everytime and no matter what I say, you never listen! It breaks my heart to see you cry. You deserve a guy that will love you everyday, even at your worst. Who will be there everyday and will know every single crazy thing about you, and love you to death because of them. Ever since we were kids, I knew that you were something special. I knew that my life was going to be pretty damn great with you in it. I want to be with you, Christine. But you just won't let me have that chance. You don't understand that I want you _so_ badly. I want you more than any guy can want a girl. I always have and quite frankly I always will. Please..just. God damnit Christine." He grabs my face and before I can comprehend what's happening, he smashes his lips to mine.

I start to pull away but he pulls my body to his. My mind is screaming but my body goes limp in his arms as his warms lips caress mine. I kiss back and run my hands through his hair, my head in his hands. I'm kissing back. Why am I kissing back?

_Do I love him?_

Kissing him...I feel at home. How long has he felt this way? I feel his arms wrap around me and he hoists me up level to him. He said he wanted me. No guy has ever said any of that to me before.

"Christine.." He moans. I've never wanted him like this. He's been my best friend for forever and now..

He slowly sets me down and kisses me softly before pulling away.

"I'm sorry." He mumbles and backs away. I find myself reaching out to him, making his eyes light up.

"You..you love me?" My throat tightens up and my voice cracks.

"I understand if you hate me now. I just love you so much, you're just-"

I pull him into a kiss once more. My heart breaks as I think of how he seems so apologetic and scared, but all of that washes away as he kisses me back. He pulls away and kisses my forehead.

And I start to cry. So much has just happened and my emotions overcome me. He loves me. He loves me so much and I was so stupid not to realise it. I doted around other guys right in front of him and he tried so hard to be happy for me. He was the only one there for me and deserved my love the most._ God, I'm such an idiot._

"Shh." He says as he pulls me to his chest. "Christine, I swear I didn't ask Hannah. She asked me. I only went with her because I knew I didn't have a chance with you."

I sob harder into his tux and he goes quiet. I feel his hand stroking my hair as I calm down.

"You love me." I whisper, meeting his eyes.

"I do." He grins back down at me softly. "I really do."


	8. Chapter 8

**MICHAEL'S POV **

I wipe her tears away with my thumbs when she's finished crying. I didn't know she would react like this. I mean, this is better than her running away, hating me and never talking to me again. Way better. But this concerns me too. She never cries, and here I am, watching her cry for the third time this month.

"Hey, hey. It's alright now. You're going to be alright now." I smile at her, my heart beating like crazy. I finally know what her lips feel like, I finally know what it feels like to have her hands through my hair, despite my own. To have my arms around her waist and protect her from the world of shitty boys, because right there, she was mine.

"I know." She nods and sniffles. "Michael?" Her eyes meet mine.

"Yeah?" _Please tell me you love me too._

"I think we should go back inside." She says, gesturing up at the sky. I break our gaze and see that she's right. Storm clouds are forming. We start to walk towards the front door and I hesitate to put my arm around her. She notices and leans into me, filling me with relief. I feel the goosebumps on her arms.

"Damn, Christine. You're freezing." I pull down her hoodie sleeve. She smiles slightly.

"It's not because I'm cold." She smiles and bites her lip.

I swear, she knows just how to mess with me. I open the door for her and follow her inside. I don't see Hannah anywhere, and I'm kinda happy I don't. I don't want her to see me and Christine right now.

"Hey, you wanna get outta here?" I murmur in her ear so the ticket girls don't hear, we don't need any rumors going around. Christine looks over at them and shakes her head at me.

"You can't just leave Hannah. You are basically on a date with her."

She does have a point. And I'm not a big enough jerk to do that to Hannah. But I don't wanna leave Christine after our..progress.

"But..you can come over afterwards. Under one condition." She looks up at me.

Of course there's a catch. I roll my eyes playfully. "What?"

"Will there be Raisinets?"

I bust out laughing. Only her. "Of course. Who do you think I am?"

She smiles and looks behind me. Her smile goes away. I follow her gaze and see Hannah.

"Michael? You ready to leave?" She asks. She messes with the buckle on the purse that matches her navy dress. I nod and walk over to her, but not without looking at Christine first. She smiles as if to give me permission, and then she walks out into the rain. I fight the urge to shield her from getting wet with my jacket. Instead, I watch her walk out into the parking lot, her ponytail waving back and forth as she walks.

Even though I'm standing next to a girl in a ball gown, I will always think the girl walking across the parking lot in a rain-soaked sweatshirt is more beautiful.

* * *

**CHRISTINE'S POV**

I lightly touch my lips when I get in the car. They're still buzzing since Michael kissed me. I hate the fact that he's staying with Hannah, but I love his kindness. He's always been like that. He offers help to anyone that needs it. Especially me. I rest my head on my steering wheel at the thought of him watching my failed relationships from the sidelines. I'm such an idiot. How did I not see it?

I pull out from the parking lot, turning on my windshield wipers to see through the rain that's starting to pour harder by the minute. I'm soaked, and sitting in this wet seat is killing me. I need to get home. As if on cue, my mother calls me.

"Hello?"

"When will you be home? You didn't tell anyone you were leaving."

I roll my eyes. _I don't have to tell you everything, I'm almost 18._ I want to say.

"Sorry. I had something important to do." I turn my blinker on and take a right turn into my neighborhood. I mentally cross my fingers in hopes that she won't press any further I'm just not ready to face them right now.

"Okay. Well I was just calling you to tell you that we won't be home. You have the house to yourself for a while. " Oh. Well that works out great then. I tell her goodbye and put my phone down before pulling into my driveway. I walk inside and turn on the kitchen light, the house eerily dark. I go upstairs, turning on every light as I go, and change into some dry jeans and a shirt.

Ten minutes later, it stops raining. As if he was waiting for the right moment, Michael texts me.

**The rain stopped just in time. Meet me at the place. I'll bring the stuff. ;)**

I smile and put on my converse. Of course he wants to meet at the trampoline. My heart flutters at the thought of me seeing him again, but with realization of both of our confessed feelings, I fear unwanted awkwardness. I look out my window to see a pair of headlights.

Michael.

I fight the urge to rush outside and kiss him again. Instead, I casually sit on the couch, but realize I can't sit still. My nerves are getting to me. I hear the door open and I dash for the kitchen but I end up tripping on a stray sock. Thanks, dad.

"Did you seriously just fall or.." I hear Michael stifle a laugh behind me. I push myself up, my cheeks growing hot. Not just because I embarrassed myself. I look him up and down and see that he's changed out of his formal tux to his usual jeans and red sleeved baseball tee. I've always liked those on him.

"Oh, shut up." I say. I then notice that he has flowers in his hand. "Are those..are those daisies?" I walk over to him as he holds them out for me.

"Yeah. Remember when we went to that pond on one of our annual trips a few years back? We got into that silly argument about how mosquitoes are important and we picked daisies?" He looks me straight in the eyes. God.

"Yeah, I do. Why?" I take them from him and walk over to the cabinet to get a vase.

"Well..." He follows me. I feel him behind me as I search for the right one.

"That was the day I fell in love with you."

I stop in my tracks, slowly standing up and looking at him. I literally have no words for this perfect person in front of me. Speechless, I search for the right words to say.

"Really? But Michael, that was-"

"Seven years, four months, and nine days ago." He interrupts me. He knows the exact amount. What kind of hell did I put him through? He slowly closes the space between us.

"Michael, I'm so..so.." I lose my train of thought as his lips brush against mine.

"I know." He whispers. He puts his hands on the wall behind me, one on each side of my head. I feel the daisies slip from my hand as I pull him to me. His lips crash into mine, and I get the same sensation I got in the parking lot. As if he and I were the only two people in the world. As if I could trust him with anything, because I can. Michael and I have always had our strange ways of always telling each other everything, that is, unless the other hasn't already figured it out. But I feel like this is a whole different thing. We're both showing the other exactly how we feel through this raw show of emotion. I feel completely and utterly at peace in his arms. He pulls away, panting. He leans down to paint kisses on my neck, making me sigh.

"You have no idea how long I've wanted to be the one to make you do that." He say in a low voice. My breathing hitches.

"Michael,"

He looks up at me, his dark eyes full of curiosity.

"I love you."

I will never, ever forget the look on his face when I told him that. His whole face lights up with joy, his dark eyes brighten a few shades, emotion overtaking him. He starts to laugh, then stops, then looks at me in disbelief.

"Really?" His voice breaks. I nod and he does the same unsteady thing with the laughing, then the seriousness, then the disbelief.

"I'm just sorry that I didn't notice your feelings until now." I say in a whisper. His brow furrows, and he shakes his head.

"No, no. Don't apologize, Christine. I know how blind you can be," He chuckles, "It's my fault for not coming straight out and telling you." He pushes a strand of hair behind my ear. "I should've told you earlier. I was just...so freaking scared about how you would react. I also tried numerous times to tell you, I practically told you I loved you everyday, in some kind of roundabout way and you always took it like a best friend gesture."

His words rang true. I most definitely recall certain times now where his attraction was more than obvious, at least to someone with some kind of sense. I mean, he went to jail because somebody hurt me. If that isn't love, I don't know what it is. I didn't even know what it was.

"But that doesn't matter now, Christine. Because you know now, and that makes me the happiest person alive." He whispers in my ear, making me shiver.

I wrap my arms around his warm body and let him shroud me in love and care. His strong arms tightening around my shoulders and he pulls me into him. He tilts my head up and slowly leans in, as if to kiss me once more. I close my eyes, waiting. A flash of light glares through the windows.

"Damn it." Michael says. My parents are home. He pulls away, pulling his keys out of his pocket.

"Don't go." I reach out for him, feeling the fabric of his shirt on my fingertips.

He smiles just as my parents walk in. We both awkwardly step away from each other.

"Oh, hey Michael. We didn't know you would be here." My mom walks past us, putting her things onto the kitchen counter.

"Hey, guys." My dad waves and goes into the living room to turn on the TV.

"I was, uhm.." He looks at me. "I was just leaving, actually. I have to head home." He squeezes my wrist and goes to the door.

"I'll walk you to your car." I say. My mom looks at us but doesn't say anything. We walk out into the dark night. Michael keeps his distance until we get to his car. He pushes me against his car and kisses me hard.

"Sorry. It's kinda hard not to kiss you all the time now." He grins. I shake my head, blushing. This seems so natural for us.

"I love you." I say while he gets into the car. He takes my hand and kisses it softly.

"I love you." He responds, "and I'm so glad I can finally tell you that."

I wave him off and go back inside after he drives away. I slowly close the door and lean against it, sliding down onto the floor.

"So. He told you?" My mom walks around the corner.

"W-what?" I try and cover it up. How does she know?

"Oh, stop it, Christine. I saw you kissing through the window." I can tell she's holding back a smile.

"Hey! He finally told you?" My dad calls out from the living room. Wait, everyone's in on this?

"Wait, you knew about how he felt?" I stand up. I see that the daisies I dropped have been picked up and put into a vase.

"He's loved you for seven years. How could it not be obvious?" My dad walks in.

"I'm a horrible person." I cover my face with my hands. "How was I so blind to his feelings?"

_What I really mean is how was I so blind to mine._

* * *

**Does anyone have any ideas for the next chapter because I'm braindead. Did you like this chapter? Review! Thank you!**


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